Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Course Details 

Ph.D. stands for Doctor of Philosophy. Ph.D. is a Latin term which stands for 'Philosophiae Doctor', meaning 'Teacher in the Love of Wisdom'. That is why Ph.D. Degree is awarded for original contributions to knowledge. It is Doctorate Degree Course which is subjective in nature and is structured as such. Philosophy is a belief or system of beliefs, accepted as authoritative by some group or school. The degree holder of a Ph.D. is conferred the title of ‘Doctor’ even though in the conventional sense he is not. The Duration of the programme is - Minimum 2 years from the date of registration (3 years for External candidates) & Maximum 5-6 years. The minimum qualifications and other eligibility criteria for admission are the same as for regular full time students. Ph.D. is a broad-based course involving a minimum course credit requirement and research thesis. Ph.D. programs are available in a wide range of areas in Engineering, Science & Humanities and Social Sciences. One can also pursue Ph.D. through distance learning programs. Distance Learning Ph.D. meets the needs of students who are unable to attend on-campus classes. Distance Learning Doctoral Degrees however have less value as compared to Full-time Ph.D.

Institutes like Bharathiar University offers Part Time Doctoral Programs, i.e. ‘Part time External Registration for Ph.D. programme’. This course provides opportunities to thousands of aspirants across the country and abroad who, otherwise have no opportunity, for want of a guide in the region/Institution for registration. Under the scheme, candidates, satisfying the eligibility criteria anywhere in India or abroad can register under a Research Supervisor, registered in Bharathiar University under the scheme and published in the website under Pool of Research Supervisors. A candidate can also choose any guide outside the Pool of Research Supervisors satisfying the required eligibility conditions. There are plans for introducing online doctoral programs by IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University). The candidates desirous of pursuing Ph.D. programme while in employment are known as 'External Candidates'.  The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is awarded to a candidate who, as per these regulations, has submitted a thesis on the basis of original and independent research in any particular discipline/inter-disciplinary that makes a contribution to the advancement of knowledge, which is approved by suitably appointed examiners as required

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Course Eligibility 

• A Master’s degree is required to gain admission to a doctoral program. In some subjects, doing a Masters in Philosophy (M.Phil.) is a prerequisite to start Ph.D.
• In cases, where the admission at the M.Phil. has been conducted through an entrance examination and course work has been prescribed at the M.Phil. level, such M.Phil. candidates when admitted to the Ph.D. programmes shall not be required to undertake entrance examination or course work and it shall be considered to have complied with the UGC (Minimum standards and procedure for award M.Phil./Ph.D. Degree).
• In other cases, where a candidate has done M.Phil. from one university and moves to another university for Ph.D., the new university may give credit and exempt for the course work done in the previous university. However, such a candidate will have to appear in the entrance test as applicable to a fresh candidate directly joining Ph.D. This procedure will apply in case of those candidates who have also obtained Ph.D. degree from abroad.
•  For some prestigious Universities, a candidate is required to qualify the all India level examination such as ‘National Eligibility Test for Lectureship (NET) conducted by University Grants Commission. Candidates appearing in the final year of qualifying degree examination are eligible to apply, however, they must submit attested copies of qualifying degree certificates/final transcripts.
• Admission is offered based on an interview held usually a month before the commencement of the semester for which admission is sought. The interview may be supplemented by a written test, if necessary.
• Normally all candidates in Ph.D. program are required to be resident on campus. Candidates sponsored from reputed research organizations, who are conducting their Ph.D. work co-advised by a reputed guide at their organization, may be eligible to complete their Ph.D. off campus. Only for such sponsored candidates, the minimum residency requirement is 1 semester, during which they will need to complete the course requirements. However, frequent visits to the Institution where admission has been taken is still normally required.
• Valid GATE score is required for those wishing to pursue Ph.D. in the field of engineering or technology. To apply for the Ph.D. in Engineering one must normally have an M.Tech./M.E. in any branch of engineering.
• An M.C.A. degree is considered equivalent to the B.Tech./B.E. degree and is not normally sufficient for admission. In certain exceptional cases, where the candidate is one of the toppers in an undergraduate B.E./B.Tech. program from a reputed university, he/she may be eligible for direct admission into Ph.D. after B.E. Such candidates must have secured 75% in their qualifying examination, and must also have a valid GATE score.
• Minimally, students in any branch of engineering, or those with MSc in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics or Statistics may also be considered, but one must demonstrate a strong Computer Science grasp for example, you may have a high GATE score in Computer Science. Some requirements may differ for candidates under QIP (Quality Improvement Program), Defence Personnel, SC/ST, and other sponsored categories.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Course Duration - 2 Years

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Course Employment Areas

• Educational Institutes
• Human Services Industry
• Publishing Houses
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Philosophical Journals
• Research Institutes
• Consultancy
• Law Firms

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Course Job Types

• Lecturer & Professor
• Human Services Worker
• Novelist & Writer
• Journalist, Editor & Critic
• Philosophical Journalist
• Researcher & Scientist
• Independent Consultant